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1 <br />MINNESOTA STATUTES 2025 347.51 <br />347.51 DANGEROUS DOGS; REGISTRATION. <br />Subdivision 1. Requirement. No person may own a dangerous dog in this state unless the dog is <br />registered as provided in this section. <br />Subd. 2. Registration. An animal control authority shall issue a certificate of registration to the owner <br />of a dangerous dog if the owner presents sufficient evidence that: <br />(1) a proper enclosure exists for the dangerous dog and a posting on the premises with a clearly visible <br />warning sign that there is a dangerous dog on the property, including a warning symbol to inform children; <br />(2) a surety bond issued by a surety company authorized to conduct business in this state in a form <br />acceptable to the animal control authority in the sum of at least $300,000, payable to any person injured by <br />the dangerous dog, or a policy of liability insurance issued by an insurance company authorized to conduct <br />business in this state in the amount of at least $300,000, insuring the owner for any personal injuries inflicted <br />by the dangerous dog; <br />(3) the owner has paid an annual fee of not more than $500, in addition to any regular dog licensing <br />fees, to obtain a certificate of registration for a dangerous dog under this section; and <br />(4) the owner has had microchip identification implanted in the dangerous dog as required under section <br />347.515. <br />Subd. 2a. Warning symbol. If an animal control authority issues a certificate of registration to the owner <br />of a dangerous dog pursuant to subdivision 2, the animal control authority must provide, for posting on the <br />owner's property, a copy of a warning symbol to inform children that there is a dangerous dog on the property. <br />The warning symbol must be the uniform symbol provided by the commissioner of public safety. The <br />commissioner shall provide the number of copies of the warning symbol requested by the animal control <br />authority and shall charge the animal control authority the actual cost of the warning symbols received. The <br />animal control authority may charge the registrant a reasonable fee to cover its administrative costs and the <br />cost of the warning symbol. <br />Subd. 3. Fee. The animal control authority may charge the owner an annual fee, in addition to any regular <br />dog licensing fees, to obtain a certificate of registration for a dangerous dog under this section. <br />Subd. 3a. Dangerous dog designation review. Beginning six months after a dog is declared a dangerous <br />dog, an owner may request annually that the animal control authority review the designation. The owner <br />must provide evidence that the dog's behavior has changed due to the dog's age, neutering, environment, <br />completion of obedience training that includes modification of aggressive behavior, or other factors. If the <br />animal control authority finds sufficient evidence that the dog's behavior has changed, the authority may <br />rescind the dangerous dog designation. <br />Subd. 4. Law enforcement; exemption. The provisions of this section do not apply to dangerous dogs <br />used by law enforcement officials for police work. <br />Subd. 5. Exemption. Dogs may not be declared dangerous if the threat, injury, or damage was sustained <br />by a person: <br />(1) who was committing, at the time, a willful trespass or other tort upon the premises occupied by the <br />owner of the dog; <br />(2) who was provoking, tormenting, abusing, or assaulting the dog or who can be shown to have <br />repeatedly, in the past, provoked, tormented, abused, or assaulted the dog; or <br />Official Publication of the State of Minnesota <br />Revisor of Statutes <br />